The Fourth Reich

A lively, well illustrated history of ideas around the Fourth Reich, this covers right from the rebuilding of Germany to the present day, both from the side of people who hoped (and still hope) that the Fourth Reich would mean a resurgence of Nazi ideas about racial purity and empire building, and those who saw it as the complete opposite, more of a utopia far beyond Nazi ideals. I liked that the author covered history, political thought and also how the idea was covered in popular culture, the depiction of Nazis as the enemy in films and the obsession with alternative history. I thought that it is a timely book considering the rise of populist politicians throughout Europe, and the author shows that if we forget the legacy of the far right, we are doomed to repeat the history. I thought that it was an accessible, interesting read and I liked the author's approach. He had obviously done a great deal of research and the book has extensive footnotes and an excellent bibliography.